2. digital
  3. 165715-18781

Low gain dac!

I am contemplating buying a new dac, the dac I have today has 4.3v output on both balanced and RCA, which makes me only use a small turn on the volume knob on my pre amp, which is a high gain design, volume starts at 6 o’clock and too loud at 8-9!
Any input is appreciated, ladde dac’s or more conventional dac’s doesn’t matter, both designs have my interest.
My system:
Primare Dac30
Supratek Cabernet pre
Belles SA 30 power amp
Graham Audio LS 5/9

Thanks!
gryphongryph
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,130 posts
 
Chord Qutest has variable line level output that can be set at 1v, 2v or 3v. If you can use single ended connections only it’s a pretty good DAC.  
rikkipuu's avatar
rikkipuu
278 posts
 
I agree with checking out the W4S dacs.  I had 2 tube preamps in series and used the DAC to set the volume controls at 12 oclock.  It is easy to attenuate the dacs output.
gryphongryph OP
378 posts
 

A late update 😜 my hifi has been in a calm state so to speak the last years, the attenuators worked much better between the dac and pre than between the pre and power amp, but getting a Schiit Multibit which has maximum output of 2.0V RMS today I was wondering if it would be different, but not really, probably is the impedance between the dac and pre that is the more important one.

Have been using the 300b output more and more where I can control the gain to the power amp and that has been fine.

I got a Volumio Rivo a few months ago, sounds great on the usb output, using it with Roon.

A new dac in soon to come in, have chosen the Audial S5b, it has Output impedance 3 Ohm coupled by 23 uF capacitors, or 30 Ohm transformers coupled, if I remember correctly it has 2v output gain.

Later my plan is to get the StringAmp d220 power amp where the input gain has 3 different settings, so should find a great combination there.

That will probably be my last big purchase (for me) system vise.

 

v-fi
91 posts
 

Sounds like a nice setup you have there. The Audial shows 2.1V output so very slightly higher than your Schiit. Probably won't make a difference though. Should sound great with that TDA1541 sound!

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